#WhatMatters

Noel W Anderson

From the shadow of an ass-whoopin’, Rodney King whimpered, “Can’t we all just get along?” To him I answer: “We could, if, folks’d just ak rite.” It is within this temporal dialogue, between a brutalized King, and a critical thinker (myself), I locate what, both matters to me, and, re/generates my diverse creative agency. As I answered King’s call to peace, the voices of those disproportionately dehumanized by an increasingly suped-up, militarized police-force, endlessly beckon my attention; from a past, present, and future, we call. As an African-American male, I am included in the calling. Said another way, as a member of the disproportionately dehumanized, I believe it my duty to address the material realities of our discrimination. I seek to achieve this by redressing the in/accuracy of image and conceptual-based circumscriptions contouring the possibilities of black male subjectivities. Brother Malcolm interminably calls: “Make it plain…Make it plain…Make it plain…” Because representations of black males are so excessively distorted – through photography, television, film, literature (this but names a few warping technologies) – I redress these in/accuracies through weaving. Weaving photographic images of black males allows me to connect contemporary modes of representation – TV and film – to their pictorial ancestors – representational tapestries. Historically, binary coding, used to develop televisual and filmic images, has roots in French weaver, Joseph Marie Jacquard’s, method of tapestry fabrication: Jacquard tapestry. My work materializes this genealogy, while challenging faith in images. Physicalizing the textile’s surface – sanding, picking, brushing, dyeing, and collaging – frays the image’s validity and meaning. A once immobile meaning, is mobilized. Exceeding the material, weaving is metaphorical, as it speaks of touch and sensitivity; terms sutured to “women’s work”. The care in undoin’ the threaded-image disputes the stereotypical narrative of black masculine aggression; offering a counter-narrative, and opening up boundless possibilities for black male subjectivity. 
Noel W Anderson has an MFA from Indiana University in Printmaking, and an MFA from Yale University in Sculpture. In 2018, he was awarded the NYFA artist fellowship grant and the prestigious Jerome Prize. His solo exhibition, Blak Origin Moment, which debuted at the Contemporary Arts Center in 2017, will open at the Hunter Museum of American Art in October 2019. For more, go to: nwastudios.com

Sparky

by Dian Liang

Dian Liang is an animator and illustrator who creates really cool work. “Sparky” is one of her most recent animated works that received plenty of attention in many film festivals. Dian knows how to present refreshing views on matters of life. Simplicity and authenticity are part of her vernacular. Her desire to create started as a journey to escape her surrounding reality. Then through her experiences, she learned how to adapt various color palettes of immediate milieus to her work and her outlook on life.

Dian focuses on what makes her dream and fly away without falling into the powerful streams of consumerism and what’s loud or popular. She says, “We are absolutely seeing too much of “somebody else’s life” … We need to stop the iendless scrolling and make time to cultivate our own imagination. We have to spend to more time to look at our heart, and into each other’s eyes.” Who can disagree with that? Dian's attentiveness to the system of beliefs and desires rooted in real life values are understood everywhere despite some changing variables and characteristics.

Enjoy Dian Liang’s work and ideas she shared with us here.

Ray Ushikubo

On Making This World a Better Place

Photo: courtesy of the artist
Ray Ushikubo is an exceptionally talented young piano and violin player currently studying for his Bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music. He is laser focused on his musical journey and determined to make the world a happier place with his music. Ray is part of the younger generation seen as clear-eyed, interested, and fascinating. Learn more about Ray Ushikubo’s likes, loves, motivation, objectives and it’s guaranteed you will feel hopeful about the future.

To give you a better idea of Ray Ushikubo’s achievements so far, know that he made his solo orchestral debut at age ten with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra. Since then he has soloed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic, and other highly respectable organizations. He has already performed on some of the most amazing American concert halls including Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Ray Ushikubo is the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Davidson Fellow Laureate Award, the 2016 Piano Concerto Competition at the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he soloed with the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra, and the 2017 Hilton Head International Piano Competition. 

Ray Ushikubo returns for his fourth consecutive summer at the Aspen Music Festival. Learn more about his music and his world here. Enjoy!  

Back to my Roots

by Josh McCausland

“I love to observe the world, reflect on it, digest it, and then spit it back out into something creative. I often create for myself and my own catharsis and in turn people connect with it because they have experienced something similar.” These are some of the lines we have highlighted from our conversation with Josh McCausland.

He is a soulful young man, maybe too humble for today’s world. He is a gifted artist who makes films, writes music, paints. Josh uses all sorts of media to deal with emotions, to connect with other people, and to reflect on the human condition at any point in time. He is the director, writer, and composer of Anamnesis, a moving short film that will get to you. Josh comes through as very sincere and really talented in everything he says and creates. iQ flicks is one of his many endeavors that started out as a small film production company and transformed into a cool art hub attracting amazing talent. Unaccompanied Melodies Vol.1. is Josh's recently released album of piano pieces. He is busy. He is focused. The future looks exciting for Josh McCausland. We'll tag along for the ride ahead. Read more here. Enjoy!

Anaïs Duplan

You Will Succeed

Photo credit: Yael Malka
Anaïs Duplan is the type of poet and writer whose works you want to read and re-read until his newest one is published. Your phone beeps and lights up anytime there’s an update or some kind of breaking news. Soon enough you realize that most often that not it is about hyped up nonsense. One single event, no matter how silly or serious, it is force fed to you by numerous outlets over and over again through your phone. Imagine if you reserved more mental space to connecting with artists like Anaïs Duplan on a daily basis. You’d really feel alive and invigorated to learn what he is up to or what he is interested in and involved in and what he has discovered and decides to share. But since you have your phone with you at all times why not use it for getting to know Anaïs's writing. It will enlighten you whereever you are: in a subway car or a park bench or a quiet nook anywhere in our noisy and loud universe.

Get acquainted with Anaïs Duplan’s work and you will feel like you have a friend who’ll always keep the conversation flow with what’s true and real, intelligent and clear. At this moment Anaïs believes “getting more in touch with your emotions helps you connect with others in more genuine ways. Intimacy is such a magical thing, and then again, it’s so ordinary! If we can get out of the way of it, it happens so naturally.”

Read Anaïs Duplan’s Mount Carmel & the Blood of Parnassus (2017) and Take This Stallion (2016) and get ready for his upcoming Blackspace (2019). Share your thoughts and impressions.

Enjoy!

First Aid Box

by Jenny Drai

“Literature, making it, experiencing it, feels like a wonderful way to celebrate joy, survival, and the fact that we often find ways to work through pain and sorrow and create beauty from it.”
 
These are the words of Jenny Drai who is a writer of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She is a sage soul drawn to historical and literary oddities, searching for the epic in the everyday, documenting and sharing some beautiful struggles of her transatlantic life. Jenny is the type of creative whose work is fascinating because it is rooted in loads of experiences as well as winding intellectual quests of serious magnitude.
 
Look at life as is. Deal with it. Don’t hide. Take a time-out if necessary and make adjustments for a better understanding of your own condition and see human nature for what it is. Explore new routes of survival. Nothing is easy. Be aware of the fact that there will always be questions left unanswered. But at least try, and then try some more and never give up.  
 
Read Jenny Drai’s interview here. Buy her books. Enjoy a good day!

Catalina Cuervo

A Study in Femininity and Power

Opera is still the most powerful and most Grand art form in the world. It is the only art form that can truly put you in touch with who you are, where you come from and what are you made of, elevating all your senses with real live experiences. That’s what Catalina Cuervo believes. 

Ms. Cuervo is a passionate and stunning opera singer. She has performed Maria, the title role of Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires, in the most productions of this work. In addition to being an operatic singer, Ms. Cuervo is a Symphonic Metal singer, too. All she does generates excitement, resilience, and conquers hearts through music. 

​Catalina Cuervo was born for the stage. She has the temper and talent for title roles like Maria de Buenos Aires and a list of other fiery roles she easily makes her own. 

Florida Grand Opera, Cincinnati Ópera, Atlanta Opera and Michigan Opera Theater are some of Catalina Cuervo’s favorite opera companies that have helped her make a name for herself in the opera scene. She will perform Frida with Atlanta Opera in the fall. The summer of 2019, she has an upcoming tour in Colombia with her band of Symphonic Metal. If you see Catalina Cuervo’s name attached to a project, it’s a sign you’re in for a treat. She has the voice, the stage presence, the energy that is touching and stirring in all music projects she takes on. Read, listen, and enjoy here!

Photo: courtesy of the artist

Colorful Life

by Michaël Cailloux

Best thing you did today, you woke up. You got up. Whether with a smile on your face or grumbling, you did it, you left the comfort of your bed to face the world, getting ready for the commute. Most often than not, that’s dreadful, no matter how comfortable the ride. You’re going to lock yourself up, for an extended period of time, the biggest junk of your day, probably, and it will all be in a confined space. The funny part is that you do it voluntarily. You set aside what you like, what you love, to serve something better and someone bigger or a group that is more important than anything else at this point in time.
 
Smile! Imagine being in Paris. What if you knew someone in Paris, someone who is born and raised in Paris. Someone who does amazing work there. Someone who is as cool as can be and as happy as can be. That’s Michaël Cailloux! He is one of the most interesting artists who creates a wide variety of works from drawings to books to wall jewelry to decorative products and more. Everything is handmade. Every detail is well thought out. Every aspect is planned and executed to match the original vision to the tee.
 
Michaël Cailloux creates because that’s what he knows how to do best and that’s what he loves doing. The best part is that he does it all in the city that he loves most, in Paris. How lucky! Michaël is aware of his blessings and he doesn’t let a minute go to waste. He works all day and sometimes any hours of the night to accomplish his ever growing to do list. In between long hours of work, he takes walks. He goes exploring. He observes. He parties. He meets friends. He makes new contacts. Michaël Cailloux lives a full life. He collaborates with the best of the best. Get a taste of what he creates and make any of it part of your collections. Michaël's art will cheer you up. Aspire to live your life to the fullest despite constraints whether they're self-imposed or dictated by outside factors. Learn more about Michaël Cailloux and his body of work and do more and do better. 
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Urban Inventory

by Wang Lu

Wang Lu is a Chinese-American composer who describes her music as a reflection of the world as she is able to observe and experience it, as well as an imaginary extension of realities. These observations and experiences in Wang Lu’s notes make magic. Her imaginary extension of realities are a stimulating and thrilling way to feel adventurous. Try to be at a live performance or get a recording of Wang Lu's music and it will a special treat every time. 
 
Fascinated by Chinese traditional music and Western canon and having lived across different continents and cities such as Xi’an, Beijing, New York, Rome, Chicago, Providence and Berlin, Wang Lu writes music that enchants, charms, seduces, and leaves us wanting more.
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She is the Spring 2019 Berlin Prize Fellow in composition at the American Academy in Berlin. She works as an Assistant Professor of Music at Brown University teaching composition and theory since 2015.  A full recording of her works, titled Urban Inventory, was released by New Focus Recordings last March. It was included as one of Alex Ross's "Ten Notable Recordings of 2018" in the New Yorker (December 2018). She had a portrait concert at Miller Theater at the end of February. One of her new works will be presented at the Chicago Symphony's MusicNOW series, curated by Missy Mazzoli.  Wang Lu is busy alright and she always delivers.  Still the most exciting part of her life now is beings the mother of a six-month-old baby. Superwoman  does not need a special suit. Wang Lu is superwoman with a beautiful soul, mind, and a temperament to be envied. Wang Lu makes music that soothes and excites. Learn more in her interview and music excerpts here.

Enjoy more...

​​Photo: courtesy of the artist

Wildlife Art

by Richard Macwee

Richard Macwee is a wildlife artist who aims to show through his work how amazingly diverse, fragile and important wildlife is. One of his main goals is to promote concern for wildlife and its environment. He admits that the creation of any artwork is an exhaustive process of practice, technique, inspiration and mood. But then again, as a self-taught artist, Richard Macwee knows that the learning of art, is a lifetime pursuit and, although it can be frustrating, it is also endlessly rewarding.

Whatever mood you woke up today, the good news is that you’re here. Take this opportunity to learn more about the gifted Richard Macwee and his wildlife artw. This experience will give you a different perspective on your everyday routine or it will awaken what has always been inside you. Wildlife artists like Richard are determined on perfecting their techniques, but more than that, it is the love for the natural world that is impossible to miss in every single piece that is brought to light.

Read the interview and enjoy Richard Macwee’s fantastic artwork. As the artist says, let’s not dwell too much on the past and worry too much about the future. Let’s remember what matters in our lives and enjoy every moment we’re given on this gorgeous planet Earth. 

Lovebirds

by Martin Garde Abildgaard

Lovebirds is the latest short film written and directed by Martin Garde Abildgaard. It’s always a treat to see Martin’s work. He never fails to present a clear vision that ties in a number of elements backing up vibrant ideas in the most evocative and aesthetically appealing manner. Martin Garde Abildgaard is a powerhouse of a creative mind and an amazing human being.

Forget about New Year’s resolutions. Look inward and focus on how to find peace within yourself and with the universe. See who and what you love and choose to love it/him/her/they more and as much as possible. Enjoy Lovebirds and binge watch Martin Garde Abildgaard’s works, everything he has done so far, and get inspired to add your own flavor to the positive vibes, attitude, and good work needed in the world. 

​Read a few thoughts Martin shared with us and watch the full movie...

The Map of Salt and Stars

by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar

It’s a weird world. Or is it a beautiful world and we are too distracted to truly enjoy it? Are we too caught up on the latest, fastest, craziest scene? You have to meet people like Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar and that’s when you feel hopeful, again. Reality is not as dreary as someone shouts and touts. There are plenty of amazingly talented people who seek, create, share and connect.
 
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar contains some of the most beautiful writing published now. Read about the world in colors, smells, feelings, portraits and landscapes as Jennifer sees it and you’ll feel your heartbeat like you haven’t in a while.
 
The present and the future demand more understanding, compassion, empathy, civility. Not less. Never less. Read Jennifer Zeynam Joukhadar’s full interview and you’ll agree that brilliant and humble, inspiring and down to earth can be used, although are not sufficient, to describe one person we are so honored to know and call our own… More...
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UMUV

Post. Search. Connect.

New day. New goals. More dreams. More running and juggling ahead. And in that spirit of high intensity, positive energy, we decided to start the week with our friend Olsi Gjeci. He is a New York City based choreographer and artistic director currently promoting his latest project UMUV. “UMUV is a global dance platform that allows dancers, dance teachers and dance enthusiasts from all over the world to publish their dance services” Olsi Gjeci says.
 
If you’re a dancer or have considered becoming part of a dance community, then you’d definitely want to check out UMUV. And guess what? Even if dance is outside of your orbit, you can still visit UMUV to see if you find something new and exciting to add to your life. In Olsi’s own words, “Even though UMUV aims to unite and grow the professional global dance community, it is not limited to users who practice dance professionally. It goes beyond that niche since it becomes a space where all can look for their favorite dance services efficiently.” 

​UMUV was created to be inviting and open to everyone! 
Give it a try! You might be pleasantly surprised or you might find out that this is exactly what you’ve been waiting for all your life. Either way, read more about UMUV and its co-founder, Olsi Gjeci. Reach for your dancing shoes, a dance partner and enjoy...

Tug Rice

Living with Art

In a world of mean tweets, heartbreaking news, as well as plenty of fluffy nonsense, there is need for a healthy dose of awesome art by talented artists who make anyone smile and hope with their renditions of reality. Look for Tug Rice. He is an actor, writer, and illustrator based in New York City. Flying high after a wonderful month-long exhibition of his illustrations in Palm Springs at the Grace Home Gallery, Tug is busy with rehearsals for The Servant of Two Masters at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. The play, an Italian farce from the 1700s, opens June 27th and runs for a month. Don’t miss the chance to see Tug Rice on stage.

Tug is a triple threat like few others. He is a self-taught illustrator who sees NYC as the epicenter of excitement anytime of year including sizzling summers or frigid cold winters. He writes, composes and is even a lyricist. He is always active on theater stages around the country. 
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NYC Subway
Change the beat! Turn your attention to people who create and work on creative projects to lighten up the mood and inspire many others.
Tug Rice is one of those multi-talented, multi-dimensional artists whose name you need to know and whose work you need to get acquainted with for positive vibes in your own life. More...

Spanish Inspiration

by Judith Jáuregui

Judith Jáuregui is a young pianist who travels the world performing some of the most magical pieces written for piano. She started learning piano at the age of five and she was on stage performing for an audience at the age of 8. Technical perfection, sensibility, elegance describe Judith Jáuregui’s piano performances. Her playing as well as her stage presence embody character and style. What Judith Jáuregui lives for are those powerful moments of magical silence during her performances when there is an intense connection between the artist and her audience. An enchanting experience like no other.

In addition to her own performances, Judith Jáuregui is a remarkable ambassador of classical music because her attitude towards it is very real. She says that contemporary artists have a responsibility to play and showcase the music of our time. On the same note, she invites young people to simply close their eyes and let themselves be carried away by the emotions of music, without prejudices. Then, she reminds us all that there are 40 million kids learning to play the piano today. She says, “That’s 40 million future musicians!”

Photo: courtesy of the artist
If you are in Spain, France, Germany, England these coming months, you will have many opportunities to catch a live performance of Judith Jáuregui. On Saturday, February 17, 2018, she will be performing piano works by Beethoven, Debussy, Schumann, Poulenc, Mendelssohn at the Festival du Piano de Toulon in Toulon, France. She will return to France many times throughout the year and one of her most special concerts will be her Paris debut at the Auditorium du Louvre on May 17. Judith will also be performing in Germany, all across Spain, and tour China in July. But we have to confess, the biggest treat for us all will be to go to a Judith Jáuregui concert here in New York City. Really looking forward to that!

Read more...

Nordic Tunes

by The Danish String Quartet

The Danish String Quartet is one of the most exciting quartets presenting really exhilarating programs of beautiful music. The best news is that they are on tour in the US this month. Their concerts are a treat like no other for all music lovers. Skeptics and new comers are invited to accept the challenge of attending a live performance or listening to a recording by the Danish String Quartet. The fluidity of their performances, their confidence, thorough understanding of each work they pick and fine interpretation is captivating. 


​February 25th is the date to circle for the Danish String Quartet concert at the Alice Tully Hall in New York City. It will be the last leg of their tour after having performed in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Seattle, Washington; Eugene, Oregon; San Francisco, Santa Barbara and a few other cities in California. Their final US based performance will be in Princeton, New Jersey, on February 28th after a concert on the 27th at the Williams Center for the Arts in Easton, Pennsylvania. To get everyone worked up about the possibility of experiencing a live performance by the Danish String Quartet, we are sharing with you an interview with Rune, Asbjørn, Fredrik. We are looking forward to see them all in NYC including Frederik who has been extra busy taking on probably the most important role of his life that of being a father. Everything these musicians do, how they live their lives, how they make music, how they appreciate and adore their families, how they work, research, rehearse and share a beer with one another speak volumes about their individual characteristics, their group portrait, their road to success, and their path ahead. It's an honor getting to know The Danish Quartet from up close. We'll be hearing more exquisite music from them for years to come. 

​Enjoy our interview with these happy Vikings and listen to excerpts of music by The Danish String Quartet…

Blake Jamieson

Bright & Bold

Blake Jamieson is an artist located near San Francisco. Bold and bright colors and personality with clear goals and plans how to get there, he makes art works that are memorable and fun. He is always true to himself focusing on how his art is seen in as many places as possible.  Don’t forget what you value the most is what Blake Jamieson says through his own life choices. If it’s your freedom, then choose that. Forget about titles and compensation packages and live a life without regrets following your passions.

Read more of what Blake shared with us and check out his paintings. Don't hesitate to make one or two or more of them yours...

Electrifying Sounds

by Pauchi Sasaki

Pauchi Sasaki is a composer, performer, improviser, inventor and all-around explorer. She has written music for film, dance, theater, and she is the author of numerous successful, interdisciplinary performances. Pauchi is a multi-talented artist who always seeks to learn something new, to make friendships, to enjoy every moment while also focusing on endless preparations of one of a kind type of experiences through her live music performances. Last Friday, she played her “GAMA XVI” as part of the sold-out American Composers Orchestra concert at Carnegie Hall. She was wearing her “speaker dress” made of 100 speakers. It was one of the highlights of a truly memorable evening with special offerings as part of a program titled Reflected in Glass: Philip Glass and the Next Generation. 
We say it with confidence that Pauchi Sasaki is one of the most impressive artists you’ll come across. She is all smiles and positive energy every time of day, every day of the year. Sasaki puts on magical music performances that awaken the senses in small stages and large venues alike.

Her musical career started at the age of five with a violin in hand. But by then, she had accumulated five years of listening experience as her mom was a piano player. After completing her studies in journalism, Pauchi decided to return to violin. She earned a Master degree in electronics music at Mills College in California. This past year she has worked under the mentorship of Philip Glass as part of the Rolex Mentors and Protégé project. She just finished her Goethe Institute Artist Residency in Salvador Bahia in Brazil and she is already planning for the many exciting projects she has lined up.  Read more of what Pauchi Sasaki shared with us and listen to her music as it will inspire to do more with your time. 

Enjoy more...

What Belongs to You

by Garth Greenwell

Garth Greenwell’s first novel, What Belongs to You, is the 2016 winner of The British Book Award for Debut of the Year. It was longlisted for The National Book Award. It was the Finalist for The Pen/Faulkner Award, a Finalist for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the list goes on and on and on. If you listen to Garth Greenwell, it almost sounds as if he credits most of his book's success to a stroke of luck. But you have to read the book to see why readers and critics love it as much as they do. The book deserves all the love.

Garth Greenwell is an amazing writer who came to fiction through the world of opera and poetry. He experiences life through an expressive set of eyes that are the mirror to a beautiful soul of a strong and sensitive character. One of the ideas that is reinforced by conversing with Garth is that t’s not worth living life by other people’s definitions. Garth tells us, “I do think we all live by constantly negotiating between what we desire and what we can bear. I don’t think there’s any escape from that.”
 
What we desire is more writing by Garth Greenwell. What we cannot bear is the waiting time, which is what it is because of so many factor like our own pestering requests for interviews to get a chance to know the author. What we are thankful for is literature as that’s how we got to know the incomparable Garth Greenwell. We also like Mr. Garthwell’s words on the subject of “real life literature" which "is what happens between a writer and the page, and also between the reader and the page. The real life of literature ... happens when a 14-year-old kid in Kentucky pulls Giovanni’s Room from a shelf and feels like it saves his life. That can’t be predicted or engineered.” Amen to that!
 
Read What Belongs to You, if you have not already done so, and be on the waiting list for Garth Greenwell's next book. For now check out his conversation with us. Enjoy!

Trust your Instrument - the VOICE

by Samantha Hankey

Samantha Hankey is a talented, Juilliard trained, American mezzo-soprano, who is also a self-described coffee addict, lover of French Bulldogs, and amateur photographer. She is the Grand Finals winner of the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Among other prestigious contests, Samantha also won the First Prize of the Dallas Opera Guild Competition this year.

​Be on the lookout as you will hear more and more of this gifted singer whose dedication to music is as thorough and as heartfelt as they come.

In October, Samantha Hankey will be appearing at Den Norske Opera in Oslo, Norway as Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. In December, she will return to Carnegie Hall in the US to sing her first Handel Messiah. The same month, she will travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a concert with Voices of Hope. In February, Samantha will fly to Switzerland to perform Siebel in Gounod's Faust at Le Grand Théâtre de Genève. Don’t miss the chance to catch one of her live performances.

Whatever role she takes on, Samantha Hankey will sing her way to her audiences’ hearts. She love working through and performing characters that have strong and complex personalities that need discovery. Taking the audience through that journey is what interests her most.

​Read more about what it means to be a young, ambitious, talented opera singer who’s world is vast and magical. Enjoy...
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Travel the World Through Photography

by Kruger de Klerk

Kruger de Klerk is an artist whose work is all about Landscape, Travel, Long Exposure and Night Photography. He left his full-time job to pursue his passion and he is not looking back. Kruger’s photography can be classified in two categories: nature and urban. Through his nature shots he aims to remind the viewer of the striking beauty of our Planet. Kruger’s urban settings focus on familiar scenes that allow people to see and feel a sense of comfort and pride, that only a hometown can bring. He wants to bring a new light or a new perspective so that we all appreciate our surroundings a bit more.
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Allow yourself to get transported to amazing landscapes and see your world through the eyes and lens of Kruger de Klerk. Get inspired to take a trip, to value the place you call home, the people you are surrounded with on a daily basis. If you love photography and if you live in Atlanta, Charleston, or Greenville, SC, do not pass up the opportunity to take a photography class with the talented and passionate Kruger. It’ll open up a whole new universe for you to be part of and enjoy. 

You're The Most Beautiful Thing That Happened

by Arisa White


​Arisa White is a Cave Canem fellow, Sarah Lawrence College alumna, an MFA graduate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and author of the poetry chapbooks Disposition for Shininess, Post Pardon, and Black Pearl.

She was selected by the San Francisco Bay Guardian for the 2010 Hot Pink List and is a member of the PlayGround writers’ pool; her play Frigidare was staged for the 15th Annual Best of Play Ground Festival.

Recipient of the inaugural Rose O’Neill Literary House summer residency at Washington College in Maryland, Arisa has also received residencies, fellowships, or scholarships from Juniper Summer Writing Institute, Headlands Center for the Arts, Port Townsend Writers’ Conference, Squaw Valley Community of Writers, Hedgebrook, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Prague Summer Program, Fine Arts Work Center, and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.

Nominated for Pushcart Prizes in 2005 and 2014, her poetry has been published widely and is featured on the recording WORD with the Jessica Jones Quartet.

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Clouded Thoughts

by Janko de Beer

Janko de Beer is a South African artist hailing from Cape Town. An interesting fact about Janko is that he is a practicing Lawyer of the High Court of South Africa after having earned his law degree in 2003. Although that is an amazing achievement, in and of itself, we connected with Janko de Beer to talk about his sculptures. Every sculpture that bears his name is deeply rooted in the many riches of Africa. The beauty of the land, the magic of its people, the weight of history, the many characters and stories the artist knows and loves inspire his works.

Enjoy Janko de Beer sculptures. The impact of their powerful statements is undeniable. Imagine seeing these works in person. For that, you’ll have to visit South Africa. Some pieces of his artworks are in hotels in South Africa. While, his latest collaboration is with Create Hub Gallery in Dubai, and their exciting new space, showcasing specifically contemporary African art.

Currently, Janko is working on a project with a big five game lodge in Limpopo where a life size bronze leopard titled Feline in Motion will be installed. Until you make up your mind which way to go, check in Janko de Beer’s interview and a few samples of his amazing body of work.

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Quiet Girl in a Noisy World

by Debbie Tung

Deborah Tung is a visual artist who is not pretentious, political, or pompous. She is talented and truthful to what she knows and what she shares with the world. Debbie’s voice has found an ever-growing audience around the world. That’s due to the fact that her artwork, comics and illustrations speak a tongue known by many. It is the introvert’s lingo: subtle, honest, humorous.
 
We are surrounded by noise everywhere we turn. At times, it looks like we might be drowning in it. It’s a constant struggle for some or narrative for others. Either way, the loudness cannot be ignored. Some yell, threaten, bully, push their way forward. Others get naked or sacrifice all kinds of transformations to make a mark. Most seem to seek the limelight. 
 
We like everything Deborah Tung does. It is really exciting to present here samples of her work and some of her thoughts. Debbie says, “Many of us go through moments of self-doubt and anxiety, but when we learn to accept and work with our quiet ways, that’s when we will find our voice.” No need to nod in approval. Just take your own steps, find your own voice and keep on moving. Enjoy more...

Okuda San Miguel

Coloring the World

Okuda San Miguel is a name worth knowing. He is an artist who makes exciting art all around the world. His art can be viewed in 15 countries now. That list will certainly grow based on how well people respond to the colorful and meaningful portraits and characters created by Okuda San Miguel.
Reach for the rainbow palette, seek love and find it in others. Don't fall prey of schemes and trickery that keep us divided and breed hatred. All we need is love and a real desire to connect and communicate. Okuda San Miguel will make you realize that life is too short to be wasted away in one dimensional formats. Be daring, honest, and blatantly rebellious against restrictions, borders and unnatural views of a colorless universe.

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How To Go On

by Dale Trumbore

Dale Trumbore is an LA based composer who writes beautiful music that is touching and pertinent to our modern lives. Her compositions have been commissioned, awarded and performed widely in the U.S. and internationally by a diverse group of outstanding ensembles. Dale Trumbore is the type of artist who truly engages in every project she is involved with and it shows in the quality of her music. Trumbore's latest project is a successful collaboration with Choral Arts Initiative finalized with the recording of her secular requiem titled How to Go On.  The composer sets in music words of three living poets--Barbara Crooker, Amy Fleury, and Laura Foley. The end result is a graceful, yet breathtaking work that warms the heart and gives strength in facing small and big challenges of any type.

​Choral Arts Initiative recently released their first album, How to Go On: The Choral Works of Dale Trumbore, that debuted at #6 on Billboard's Traditional Classical Chart. The  album has been very well received by listeners and critics. They have described it as “Beautiful. Soul-Healing Music.” and “Absolutely stunning from beginning to end.” Spend a few minutes to buy and then take your time listening to CAI’s recording of Trumbore’s music. It'll help in your search of finding meaning to every passing moment of life.

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People I Saw But Never Met

by Zadok Ben-David

Zadok Ben-David is one of the UK & Israel's best known artists. He was born in Yemen in 1949 and immigrated to Israel in the same year. He shares his time between England, Israel & Portugal, where he makes his large sculpture. He has had over sixty solo exhibitions since 1980 including representing Israel at the 1988 Venice Biennale. One of Zadok Ben-David’s most acclaimed sculpture installations "Evolution & Theory" is shown around the world sometimes to record crowds in museums in Israel, Singapore, USA, Germany and the Netherlands. His work is in public, corporate and private collections in Europe, Israel, USA and Australia.

Facing Zadok Ben-David’s sculptures is an experience in and of itself. Having the opportunity to share this great artist’s thoughts and memories is an honor. Ben-David's understanding of human nature and his ability to connect with the world through his art is a testament to his power which is undeniable without any fuss or fanfare. Connecting with Zadok Ben-David for HocTok is another one of those pinch me to prove I’m not dreaming moments. Smile. Life is beautiful and full of beautifully creative minds is another thought that occurs naturally.
Being sincere, genuine and honest is what Zadok Ben-David sees as crucial in an artist’s work. “Being out of tune is visible,” he writes. Then he confesses that his road of becoming an artist started with failure when he was kicked out after two years from the first art school he went to. Ben-David’s advice to young artists is to hear the criticisms but not necessarily to listen or to materialize it automatically. "Even teachers can be wrong and mistaken in reading you and analyzing your work," he says. On a personal level, Ben-David credits his success thanks to supporting parents, teachers, fellow students, writers, artists and close friends. But the greatest influence and inspiration for an artist of his statue came from ​observing the Human Nature. Enjoy more...

All About Love

by Lang Leav

Lang Leav is a writer who likes to blur the lines between poetry and prose, alternating between traditional poetry to free verse. She writes for the broken hearted, the ones who are trying to make sense of their feelings. Readers around the world adore her writing and so do we. Reading what Lang Leav shared with us is the biggest and best treat one could ever wish for. It’s as if getting special access to her magic making world. Lang Leav is beautiful in every sense of the word. She knows, understands, conveys the meaning of love and other complex themes with striking simplicity. She does it so effortlessly because that’s her vernacular.
 
But could you have ever imagined that Lang Leav’s life began in a Thai refugee camp where her parents were seeking refuge from the Khmer Rouge regime? Lang told us, “I grew up in the midst of collective sadness and despair... As a child, writing was an escape for me. It wasn’t so much a choice as it was a necessity.” 

Years later, in 2013, to be exact, it was her book “Love & Misadventure” that unassumingly took on the leading role in getting the younger generation hooked on poetry again. Her poetry was the unintentional and most effective counterargument to the Washington Post article (of the same year) suggesting that poetry was dead. Poetry will never die because of writers like Lang Leav. 

​SAD GIRLS is Lang Leav’s debut novel with a worldwide release date of May 30th, 2017. Make a copy of it yours as soon as you can. Read more...

In Pencil & Paper

by Christelle Bilodeau

Christelle Bilodeau’s portfolio includes amazing pencil drawings of some fantastic artists such Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga and many more. Her artistry is undeniable and just take a look at her body of work for an introduction to her talent. Christelle’s portraits reflect a high level of precision, plenty of details and that that little something that captivates the essence of each individual who becomes the subject of her art pieces.

It was really enjoyable listening to Christelle Bilodeau talk about work process, her fears facing a big project, her feelings of joy finishing up another wonderful piece of art. She reminded us how the genius of Andy Warhol continues to inspire generations of talented artists like herself. There’s so much to look forward to when it comes to Christelle’s own body of work. It will be pure joy to cheer her on! Read more...

Amy Winehouse - Before Frank series. (2/2) Pencils and colored pencils on 15'x20' paper - July 2016

Pencil drawing of Bob Dylan, Graphite pencils on  11'x14' paper  - 2012

Pencil drawing of Lady Gaga, graphite pencils on 18'x24' paper - 2016

Timo Andres

                           Words Fail, Music Triumphs

Photo: courtesy of the artist
Timo Andres is a composer and pianist living in Brooklyn. He is a 2016 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for his piano concerto The Blind Banister. 

What makes Timo’s music particularly special is the brilliance behind his reserved temperament, easy to detect once you listen to his works or attend one of his performances. He is an ingenious composer with a deep understanding of the world around him and the preceding history. He is a gifted pianist who travels constantly and has a good grasp of what audiences love and what they welcome when it comes to new music offerings.

Shy and Mighty, his 2010 debut album for two pianos, was a triumph by all accounts for the young Nonesuch Records artist. Alex Ross wrote about this work in The New Yorker stating that “it achieves an unhurried grandeur that has rarely been felt in American music since John Adams came on the scene… more mighty than shy, [Andres] sounds like himself.”
Wednesday, October 19, 2016, is a date to mark on your calendars. It's the National Sawdust curatorial debut of Timo Andres, promising an exciting evening of delectable treats for musicians and non-musicians alike. The impressive program will also feature the New York premiere of Andres' Words Fail performed by celebrated violinist Yevgeny Kutik accompanied on the piano by the composer himself. If you ain’t got the chance to attend National Sawdust, listen to Home Stretch, Shy and Mighty and other works by Timo Andres.  

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                                                                     Serena Brook

                                                                     Different Genres in One

Photo: courtesy of the artist
Serena Brook is an actor, singer, voice over artist from Minnesota. The cold, cold winters don't scare her one bit. But she also loves traveling around the country with really cool projects. The ukulele, a birthday gift years ago, has turned into a passion side project. After working Off-Broadway and on the national circuit, Serena got another surprise. She became a member of the Prairie Home Companion team. Listen for yourself and you'll see she is a truly good fit for it.

​Serena thanks her lucky stars for living such a dream which includes having cast-mates that are the cream of the crop. The whole experience is a beautiful combination of her favorite artistic worlds—theatre, music, comedy, voiceover, creative writing, improv….” 

​Serena Brook is a genuine artist with real love for her craft, visible desire and dedication to a truthful life full of laughter, adventure, music, and creativity. Enjoy the art and follow Serena’s words, “see the world and be inspired by the genuine, eccentric, and delightful people in it…”

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FIDA A R T

Just Wanna Have Fun

Have you ever heard of Fida? The young artist from Saudi Arabia?! No worries. We have had the chance to speak with her for you and for our own pleasure. Just so you know, Fida is a fun young artist whose works have reached people in all four corners of the world. She has a strong fan base thanks to social media. It all looks promising for galleries in search of artists with works like a breath of fresh air. 

Fida’s works are colorful, meaningful and imaginative. You can laugh, smile, question, and fly away in a dreamlike reality. It’ll be easy to detect common features that unite us humans without the need of translation or this and that. See for yourself but we’re certain Fida’s works will bring a sparkle in your eyes and a smile on your face. 

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Stephen Duane

For the Love of Swing

If in Charleston, yes, the city of cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and pastel pre-Civil-War-era houses, birthplace of ...,you got it, the Charleston, why not go out Swing dancing. The Roaring 20’s Hot Jazz Dance Club is the group you want to meet and join, like, right now.  
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You love the stylish, carefree attitude of that bygone era but you certainly don’t think, you’re cut for the dancing part. Well, don’t sell yourself short. Stephen Duane of The Roaring 20’s Hot Jazz Dance Club says confidently that anyone of any age, size, or ability to keep rhythm can Swing dance. It all starts with love of the music.  
If not in the Lowcountry area, plan to visit Charleston just to catch a performance or take a class with Stephen Duane and the team of talented dancers, artists, photographers, and musicians of the Roaring 20’s Hot Jazz Dance Club. It will be well worth it. You can thank us later. 

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